Thursday, October 14, 2010

A Ghosty Giveaway!

Last year around this time, I went to my local indie bookstore for a book signing by the living authors of Ghost Files (the members of the Spirit Society declined to make an appearance, except through a Ouiji Board). While there, I picked up an autographed copy of the book. It's really intriguing, with a lot of cut outs and hidden messages ~ even a little fold-out Ouiji Board ~ and beautifully illustrated. It's supposed to be for kids 10 and up, though I think it might be a little scary for the younger ones. On the other hand, I'm sure adults wouldn't find it too scary and would instead get a real kick out of it. Unless they were to try working the Ouiji Board and, you know, got a message. That might be just a tad worrying, but, hey! Maybe it'll be good news you get from the Spirit World!

Oddly enough, some of the scariest books I ever read were not horror stories, per se. One I particularly remember was by Caleb Carr, the guy who wrote The Alienist. I thought his novel Angel of Darkness was terrifying, with one of the creepiest, altogether evilist characters I've ever met on the pages of any book. I've read other books that have made my heart race and my mouth go dry, notable among them The Exorcist, The Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, The Collector, Salem's Lot, even In Cold Blood, but I'm always up for more. I've decided to join the ranks of all the ghouls and boys who are reading scary stuff this October, and the first novel I've chosen to read is World War Z. I've heard from people whose book recommendations I trust that it's an excellent read, so I can hardly wait!

So, tell me, what's the scariest book you've ever read? Just leave a comment after this post, telling me what your absolutely number one top favorite read-it-with-the-lights-on scary novel is, and you'll be entered to win the autographed copy of Ghost Files. I plan to hold the drawing in one week, on October 21, at the *mwahahaha* witching hour. That should leave plenty of time to get the book to you before Halloween.

Since it's on my own dime, I've decided to open this giveaway up worldwide. All you need do to be entered is comment with your fave scary book and include your email address. And all you have to do to get the book (should Nickel ~ the highly intelligent parrot who shares my abode ~ pick your name out of the proverbial hat) is send me your street address when I notify you at the email address you left in your comment. (Sorry, you have to have a numbered street address; no post office boxes or Crossroad-Between-the-Living-and-the-Dead type addresses please.)

Anyone who links this post to their blog, either in the sidebar or in a post, gets an extra chance to win. Ditto for anyone who tweets this or mentions it on Facebook (with a link back to my blog). If you do any of the three, please leave a comment with the link to your blog, the tweet or the FB mention. Thanks and good luck!

No need to enter me, Mary K. I'm dropping in to say thanks for the e-mail. I've got this posted at Win a Book -- and you might need to win the Win a Book Promo award for that cool sidebar mention you've got there. Thanks for that, too!

The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen, only because it's frightening in the sense that it could happen to anyone. Her inner pain & the resulting fantasies show a trip into madness that scare me more than any ghost could.

Hi, melydia, and thanks for your suggestion. I tried to read HEART SHAPED BOX a couple of years ago and just couldn't seem to get into it. (Also I kept comparing it to novels by his dad.) What (without spoilers) made it so deliciously spooky for you?

Hi, Carol M. ~ I've heard Pet Sematary is really scary, and, if you keep thinking about it long after you've read it, then it must be good! I'll have to borrow it from my sister sometime ~ she's a Stephen King fanatic.

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Books and a bird, and maybe a little dark chocolate once in awhile ~ what more could one possibly need to attain perfect happiness?
What about coffee, you say? Well, yes, but that's a given, isn't it? Like air.